The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-06-17

But when the winds swept down and
the sea was tossed into wrath, then they
found that following Christ was not
smooth sailing. So you have found it.; SO
have found it. Did you ever notice the
end OF the life Of the apostles of Jesus
Christi You would say that il ever men
ought to have smooth life, smooth de-
parture, then those men, the disciples of
Jesus Christ, ought to have had such q
departure and such life.
St James lost his head st. Philip was
hung to death on . pillar. st. Matthew
had his life dashed out with halbert
St Mark was dragged to death through
the streets. St. James the Less was
beaten to death with fuller's club ST.
Thomas was struck through with spear.
They did not ind following Christ smooth
sailing. Oh, how they were all tossed in
the tempesti John Huss in the fire;
Hugh McKaIl IN the hour Of martyrd ON
the AlbigenseS the Wal1enses. the
Scotch covenanters-did they fad ii
smooth sailing!
But why 20 to history when can come
into this audience to-day and find a score
of illustrations of the truth Of this sub
ject- That young man in the store try ing
to serve God, while his emp over SCOTS at
Christianity; the young mea in the same
store antagonistic to the Christian re.
ligion. teasing him, tormeutiug him about
his religion, trying to get him mad. They
succeed in getting him mad, saying:
you're apretty Christian"
Does this young man find it smooth sail
ing when he tries to follow Christi
Here is Christian girl Her father de-
spses the Christian religion: her mother
despises the Christian religion: her
brothers and sisters scoff at the Christian
religion; she can hardly find a quiet
place in which to say her prayers. Did
she find it smooth sailing when she tried
to follow Jesus Christi
Oh. no! ALI who would live the life of
the Christian religion must suffer perse-
cution: if you do not find 1t in one way,
you will get it in another way. The ques-
ton was asked:
'Whe are those nearest the throner
To this the answer came back:
these are they who came up out Of
great tribulation''-great failing, as the
original has It: great failing, great pound
ing-''and had their robes washed and
made white in the blood Of the Lamb"
Oh. do not be disheartened! Oh, child
Of God, take courage! You are in gio-
rieus companionship. God will see you
through all these trials, and He Will de-
liver you.
Ny subject also impresses me with the
fact that some people get very much
frightened.
In the tones Of these disciple. as they
rushed into the back part OF the boat,
find they are frightened almost to death.
They say:
Master, carest Thou not that We perish.
They had no reason to be frightened.
for Christ was in the boat. l suppose il
we had been there we would have been
just as much frightened. Perhaps more
In all ages very good people get very
much frightened. 1t is often so in our
day. and men say:
why, look at the bad lectures; look at
the Spirituallstic societies; look at the
various errors going over the Church Of
God: we are going to founder; the
Church is going to perish: she is going
down.
oh. how many good people are alright
ed by iniquity in our day, and think the
church of Jesus Christ is going to he over
thrown, and are just as much afYrighted
as were the disciples of my text Don't
worry, don't fret though in'qui.y were
going to triumph over righteousness.
A lion goes into cavern to sleep. He
lies down. with his shaggy name
covering the paws. Meanwhile the
spiders spin web across the mouth Of
the cavern, and saw:
I'VE have capturei him"
Gossamer thread after g,ssamer thread
is spun until the whole front of the cav
ern is covered with the SPIDERS web, and
the spiders say:
''The lion is done: the lion is fast.''
After awhile the lion has got through
sleeping: he rouses himself he shakes
his mabe. he walks out into the sunlight;
he does not even know the spiders web is
spun, and with his voice he shakes the
mountain.
So men come spinning their sophlstries
and skepticism about Jesus Christ He
seems 10 be sleeping. They say:
I'VE have captured the Lord: he will
never come forth again upon the nation;
Christ is captured forever His religion
will never make any conquest among
men"
But after awhile the lion Of the Tribe OF
Judah will rouse himself and come forth
to shake nightly the nation. What's a
spiders web to the aroused lNone Give
truth and error fair grapple, and truth
will come of victor.
But there are a great MANY good people
who get affrighted in other respects: they
are afrighted in our day about revivals.
They say:
oh, this is a strong religious gale: we
are afraid the Church of God IS going to
be upset. and there are going to be a
great many people brought into the
church that are going to be of NO use to
it."
They are affrighted whenever they see
revival taking hold of the churches As
though a ship captain with 5.01O bushels
Of wheat for cargo should say, some
day, coming upon deck: Throw over
board al, cargo" and the sailors should
say: ''Why. captain, what do you mean.
Throw over all the caryoF'
'-Oh." says the captain, 1--WE have q peck
Of chan that has got into this s 600 bus hels
of wheat, and the only way to ge, rid Of
the chaff is to throw all the wheat over
board"
Now. that is great deal wiser than the
talk of great many Christians who want
to throw overheard all the thousands
and tens of thousands of souls who
are the subjects Of revivals. Throw
all overheard because they
are brought into the kingdom Of God
through great revivals, because there is a
peck Of chan, quart Of chan, pint Of
chaff! say. let them stay until the last
day; the Lord will divide the chaf from
the wheat.
Do not be afraid Of the great revival
Oh. that these gales from Heaven might
sweep through all our churches Oh, for
such days as Richard Baxter saw in En-
gland and Robert McCheyne saw in Dun
dee! Oh, for such days as Jonathan Ed
wards saw in NORTHAMPTON! have often